So, you’re sitting at your desk at work. Bleh. Your eyes are blurry with looking at the computer screen, the list of “URGENT deadlines” from your boss grows ever longer and there are still those 300 emails to reply to… ARG! But what’s that you see amongst all those work emails? Yes! An email from Rock The Route… You… Read more →
If you’re in the Garden Route, or planning to travel to the Garden Route, then you’ve got the first part of Owning At Life right. The next part of your journey to greatness is to figure out how you’re going to experience as much of the Route as you possibly can, in the time that you have. Here’s a list of the Garden Route’s 10 most popular activities… adventure, wildlife, nature, food, wine, craft beer, live music and lots more! Read more →
I’m sitting here 5 days after our Promo Trip and still in pure bliss! A simply unforgettable 10 days of #ChangeGrowPlay! Our first and annual Promotional Trip started in #MosselBay on 21 October and took us through the whole #GardenRoute in 10 jam-packed adventure-filled days of fun, conservation, eco tours, permaculture, witnessing nature in respect, contributing to communities in… Read more →
When you come to #MeetSouthAfrica, you will inadvertently end up on some of our infatuating beaches. The Indian and Atlantic Ocean glistening in the sun will hold your gaze for hours and the soft white sand that will warm your buttocks, will have you coming back for more year after year. But when one goes to the beach, you do… Read more →
#Independenttravel is all about making your own choices while traveling. Not having to stick to any specific plan or too much of a schedule. Forgetting the guidebook for a while and getting a little lost. That’s when you start to experience a country. When you can get past the fancy facade that tourists usually get locked into. That’s why we… Read more →
Have you ever looked at someone and thought that ‘This guy must have one crazy story to tell’…?
Just like countries, scenery and experiences, people can vary more than any other species on the planet. Hairy, beautifully-old and wrinkly. Young, joyous and smiling from ear to ear. Tall, tanned and walking with a stride like a cowboy. Short, hunched and frowning over a newspaper they might not be reading. Not all are what they portray. And not all portray what they are.
I simply love people-watching and I know I’m not alone on my little undercover perversion. Silently sitting in a little beach restaurant pretending to read or type this, while stealing glimpses at an old couple chatting or some friends telling old jokes. And airports! I will gladly pay four times as much for a coffee at Mugg & Bean at Cape Town International while watching all the hello and goodbye shenanigans go down at airports. Irresistible!
But simply watching won’t give you a chance to talk to them, and to really experience a country, you have to emerge yourself among the people. Talk to the old guy waiting at the bus stop. Ask questions and listen to the beautifully dressed Malawian lady selling wooden bowls. Make a joke with the kid tied to her back. And best of all, have a few extra drinks with the friendly and weird people at the local drinking hole. Have a few too many as a matter of fact and listen to what makes them tick, what ticks them off, what they do for a living and their views of the Rainbow Nation… You might be pleasantly surprized.
I believe THIS is how you truly experience a country. Beautiful scenery can say a thousand words, sure. But you’ll only find out special and unique things if you Meet the Locals. Leave the guide book in your backpack and talk to people. Follow them on a bundu-bashing hike to that ‘hidden-spot’ only they know about. Join an old couple for their Sunday fish braai at their house and try the lady’s trifle for pudding.
Be smart about it. Be bold. Trust your gut feeling about people. This way you will make memories that will never leave you and find things no one else has found or seen. And also see why the locals never leave!
